iLounge

“Catchy singles reach radio as much as eight weeks before the full-length CDs they are on land in the stores, but customers willing to pay for legal downloads online have had to wait, sometimes until just before the CD’s release date.

Music companies had feared that issuing the songs any earlier could fuel piracy, upset traditional marketing plans and anger brick-and-mortar retailers. But in the past six months, recording companies have had a change of heart.

Songs are now routinely released for sale by download through iTunes, Napster, RealRhapsody and other services on the same day those tracks hit radio.”